High and low density fibrous glass insulation products generally comprise matted glass fibers bonded together by an inorganic or organic binder. Molten streams of glass are drawn into fibers of random lengths and blown into a forming chamber where they are randomly deposited as a mat onto a traveling conveyor. The fibers, while in transit in the forming chamber and while still hot from the drawing operation, are sprayed with an aqueous binder. The residual heat from the glass fibers and the flow of air through the fibrous mat during the forming operation are generally sufficient to volatilize a majority of the water from the binder, thereby leaving the remaining components of the binder on the fibers as a viscous or semi-viscous high-solids liquid. The coated fibrous mat is then transferred by a conveyor to a curing oven where heated air is blown through the mat to cure the binder and rigidly bond the glass fibers together. Depending upon the vertical distance between the upper and lower flights within the curing oven, a high-density or low-density insulation product may be produced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,336 to Griffith et al. discloses a glass fiber insulation product made by applying an aqueous acid aluminum phosphate binder to glass fibers and thereafter curing the binder by applying heat and removing water, to form an insulation product comprising glass fiber coated with an amorphous aluminum phosphate polymer.
The parting strength of fiberglass insulation is an important characteristic when considering the installation practices used for such products. Frequently, fiberglass batts are laid on a horizontal surface and pulled from one end, to properly position the insulation. Insulation products having poor parting strengths become deformed when pulled from an end, thereby causing a decrease in R-value at the end region of the batts.
It would be desirable to prepare fiberglass insulation products having improved parting strengths.